It was during the operation at Bryndar that Romodi, fighting alongside Admiral Bannidge Holt, was ambushed by Iska pirates in the guise of local officials. Holt was killed and Romodi was badly wounded by shrapnel from a detonating fragmentation grenade. Left blind and with severe injuries to his face, arms and chest, Romodi was placed in a bacta tank, but refused to leave the battlefield and continued to direct the last of the battle until the enemy had been routed with his subordinates describing events to him. Doctors were able to save Romodi's life but he was left badly scarred,[1] with wounds so deep that neither reconstructive surgery[4] nor nano-surgery could return his face to its undamaged self. Cybernetic eyes were installed to replace his ruined, natural ones, causing many in his company to be deeply unnerved by the unblinking nature of the implants.[1]

After suffering grievous injuries in the field, Romodi retired from active duty and instead became the senator for the Lambda sector, working on Imperial Center as part of the Imperial Senate. During his time in the Senate Building, Romodi was a strong proponent for military spending and one of Emperor Palpatine's fiercest advocates. Despite his strong will and vocal support for the Empire, Romodi's colleagues and aides soon came to realize that the decorated general had indeed suffered more than physical wounds during his service to the Empire. Plagued by horrific night terrors and complaining of having difficulty focusing on his senatorial duties, Romodi was forced to retire after serving only a single term.[1]

Romodi was a capable military leader who distinguished himself in service to Lambda sector's Planetary Security Forces and the Galactic Republic before being appointed a general in the Imperial Army. Romodi's actions led to him being decorated and hailed as a hero in the early Imperial era; such was the level of Romodi's fame in the Core Worlds that many Imperial citizens could remember where they were when they learned that Romodi had been injured at Bryndar. The army and navy were not always known to cooperate smoothly, but Romodi developed a mutual respect with Admiral Terrinald Screed during the Ciutric Offensive. Romodi described Screed's forces as "guardians above the blue sky" while Screed came to trust Romodi's instinct for when a situation required the precision of Imperial Army forces. Romodi was fearless on the battlefield, known for leading his forces into battle from the open top hatch of his Floating Fortress. When warned that this would lead to loss of hearing, Romodi opted to have his eardrums replaced with cybernetics rather than change his command style. Even when gravely wounded on Bryndar, Romodi refused to leave the battlefield until the enemy were defeated.[1]

The injuries that Romodi suffered during the Western Reaches Operation left him with cybernetic eyes and scars that made him feared by many during his later career as an Imperial senator. However, Romodi had suffered more than physical injuries; he increasingly struggled to concentrate and suffered from recurring nightmares, ultimately leading to his departure from the Senate. By the time he served aboard the Death Star under Grand Moff Tarkin, Romodi was only lucid intermittently, leading others to question why Tarkin tolerated his presence and the Grand Moff to remind them of Romodi's loyalty and sacrifices to the Empire.[1] Romodi's belief in the Death Star's invulnerability put him at odds with some of his senior officers, among them General Cassio Tagge.[4] Romodi had light skin and brownhair which had heavily receded by 0 BBY.[2][3]

"Dangerous to your starfleet, General Tagge, but not to this battle station. I happen to think Lord Vader knows what he's doing. The rebellion will continue only as long as those cowards have a sanctuary, a place where their pilots can relax and their machines can be repaired."